The Sun Also Rises
by HallowLighter
Summary: Post final, pre-epilogue. Uchiha Sasuke has once again left the village hidden in the leaves in order to understand the world around him. A quest for redemption, and the love story of how Sasuke and Sakura came to be.
1. Chapter 1

**The Sun Also Rises**

 _My friend, who left us for the setting sun. My friend who gave away to the gushes of wind, deviant from the still of earth ruminated in heat and green. I will wait for you, until the sun will rise again. I will wait for you, for the day when you will rise again._

The young man crested with the symbol of impurity of a war done over, unhurriedly moved past the leaves that hid the village from sight. He went on, unknowing where he would go. His eyes had traced the lands, over and over, but what he had learned had been erased by the burden that still marked his path. Although, he had come to see his malicious preamble, he was still so lost. His eyes showed him the fine lines of heat, of cataclysmic moves. But, what his eyes, and heart still knew not was redemption. How does one heal the world he broke? How does one heal himself from a burden burnt thick into the veins where the blood streamed? He did not know. But, he knew he must. He continued forward. It was all he could to learn what he had misgiven as weakness, as distraction.

Uchiha Sasuke was not easily tired. After years of training, of war, of destruction his feet could not tire at the distance of night and day. But, as he searched up to the night sky, so clear, with stars dazzling the seams like shards of diamonds, he felt the ache of the distance. He mused the first clarity of the ache of his journey. The village he had known all his life, was for the first time missed dearly. His past missions, on the way to act as savior had excited him. Then, it was an opportunity to see the arena flesh away from leaves and leaves and leaves, to earth barren of life. The earth washed with sand all throughout, with homes concrete and square that formed mazes and empire. And then so on to waters. Lands far from shore, where the mist consumed a land hidden from sight. All were exotic. All were bliss. More bliss than he could ever have from home. Because. There, there was where he thought he could prove himself. Avenge what had been taken from him. But, with excitement, there isn't always happiness. For him, there was always some pain. Pain, that even today had not gone away.

But, now, he thought of the ones who loved him, and they who he wronged. But, the war had proven that he, he was nothing more than a self righteous villain, who had destroyed.

That was not enough.

An inferiority from a massacre had pushed him to do what he had done. Taken the wrong path. Been the murderer. Unsettled at that calamity that could have been, that today was trying to be.

Naruto had brought him back to the village. But, his crimes were unforgivable. He had damned many, including herself.

Naruto, once the picker of madness for many had grown into a fine young man. The savior. His words from long ago, had come true. But, his had ended up eating him alive. Naruto had brought him back to the village. But, yet again he had left it. He had left the Team 7. That was temporarily restored, with Sakura and Kakashi Sensei. This time, she knew it was what he had to do. He had to find redemption in himself, and in the village he had broken for the sake of his grievances. The path was long and hard, demented by reason and heart and every man and woman who stared as he walked forward. Tried to.

But, he would go, with his crest of impurity. An impurity caused by the grievance he spurred.

 _I have left for the setting sun. I have given myself to the winds that were deviant, from the cool of earth. Wait for me Naruto. Sakura. Until I rise again. Wait for me, until the sun as my promise, will rise._

 _Look forward to it._


	2. Chapter 2

"HAHAHHAHHAHHHA!"

The familiar clang of laughter shook the streets with rhythm. For a moment Sakura thought that the night had ended, and everyone would soon be home in bed. But, lately, more than lately, everywhere Naruto went, he the golden haired hero, he brought the village back to life. Sakura Haruno was alone in the hospital, tucked away in her office crammed with the goodies of her work. No matter what, she never left any of it behind. His voice had struck her out of her trance, and she slightly walked to her window to observe the scene. Girls, and young genin looked to him in awe. The beloved hero. They would never forget it. And knowing Naruto he would never let them forget.

She smiled.

Hinata held Naruto's hand, flustered as ever. She wondered what they were like together when they were alone. As a little girl, and really until recently, Hinata always flashed blood red at the sight of the young Uzumaki. Now, it seemed to be more from the attention she received by being at his side. What were they like alone? Naruto had to talk to her more earnestly than he did to their peers. There had to be a side of Naruto, that only Hinata could see. And one of Hinata that only he saw. Her friend had found love, and it was beautiful. Out to the window, once they had finished eating their ramen, Sakura saw Hinata and Naruto steal away into the alley hidden away, far from what any of the world could see. She saw Naruto hold her close, and move his now rugged face to Hinata's side. With a gentle, but tad devious rumble, he moved his lips to her ear and whispered. Hinata pulled back, then pushed forward, her face to his, so that their noses pressed. Sakura couldn't see her face. The closer they came on to one another, it seemed that the further they vanished from her sight. It was these hidden moments that Sakura wished she could share with the one she loved.

She raised her arms, stiff from carelessly wrecking herself on all the pages that clattered her desk. She would have to organize them at some point. Looking away here eyes trailed back out the window… Sakura's vision was encased by the moon, bold in the eerie night; the night sky was blank in a darkness that lingered in her mind. The chills kept coming, although they need not be. There was peace in the village, between the nations, but it was impossible to feel something more. There had to be stars she thought to herself. They were somewhere, but for some reason she could not see it. She searched. First she started at the grounds of the village, it was late, but the village was beaming with life. She saw her peers come together with their loves at hand. Teasing each other in the darkest of corners, secretly looking forward to what would come when the streets would empty out, and every soul went to bed and released their excesses hidden in day to their lover's arms. Looking back to the moon, all that filled her was the pierce of shards scattered, somewhere. _Somewhere in the night sky…._

 _Sasuke-kun._

 _Sauke-kun._

 _I look forward to one day seeing your face again. I remember you leaving the village as the sun had just started to set, seeing the orange of a spring turn into something even more hidden._

She lookd down, surprising herself with a tear, and then another.

 _Shannaroo, Sasuke! Why is it that you always hide!_ She slipped away to the floor, exhausted from overworking herself. It had been three years since the Uchiha had left the village. After the war, he had stayed four seasons, in order for Kakashi to handle the fact that despite his help saving the village, he was technically a dangerous criminal. There was also the recovery. And, the short lived reunion of Team 7. This time Sasuke had been…lighter. Despite some of the less than enthusiastic reactions of some of the villagers. For a moment, he surrendered himself to the ones that loved him. But, now… He was hidden away. No one knew where he was. Sasuke was disorganized in the fact that he never let the village know where he was heading, and communicated through a hawk. _A hawk… How Sasuke…. Heh.._

But, Sasuke… You said you wanted to learn… How will you manage to do that on your own…

Haruno Sakura lifted herself off the floor. If she didn't leave soon, Tsunade-sama would force her out of the hospital, and to a less than stellar bar in hopes of landing Sakura a nice piece of man candy. In Tsunade-samas words, a working woman needed to taste the warmth of a man. No matter how long they stayed together… Composing herself, she gave a final glance to the moon, lonely in the night.

 _I look forward to it._

 _I look forward to it._


End file.
